USMNT training camp roster set as 2022 World Cup Qualifying resumes

CHICAGO – U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Gregg Berhalter has called 25 players to Cincinnati as 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying nears the halfway point. The USMNT training camp roster will begin reporting to camp this Sunday.

With the USMNT holding second place in the standings after six matches, all eyes are focused on USA-Mexico at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati on Friday, Nov. 12 (9 p.m. ET; ESPN2, Univision and TUDN). Four days later, the USMNT will face Jamaica at Independence Park in Kingston on Tuesday, Nov. 16 (Paramount+ and Universo).

“Our focus remains on a next game up mentality. After this window we’ll be more than halfway through the Octagonal, so we have a chance to position ourselves well heading into next year,” Berhalter said. “When it comes to USA-Mexico, I’m excited for our players because it isn’t just a game – it’s an event. This is the best of World Cup Qualifying, and our group is ready for the challenge.”

Detailed Roster by Position (Club/Country; Caps/Goals):

GOALKEEPERS (3): Sean Johnson (New York City FC; 9/0), Zack Steffen (Manchester City/ENG; 24/0), Matt Turner (New England Revolution; 12/0)

DEFENDERS (9): Reggie Cannon (Boavista/POR; 22/1), Mark McKenzie (Genk/BEL; 8/0), Chris Richards (Hoffenheim/GER; 4/0), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 17/1), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United; 14/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 0/0), Sam Vines (Royal Antwerp/BEL; 8/1), DeAndre Yedlin (Galatasaray/TUR; 69/0), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; 20/2)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Kellyn Acosta (Colorado Rapids; 42/2), Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig/GER; 20/1), Gianluca Busio (Venezia/ITA; 7/0), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy; 33/8), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 27/7), Yunus Musah (Valencia/ESP; 9/0), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders; 29/0)

FORWARDS (6): Brenden Aaronson (Red Bull Salzburg/AUT; 13/5), Paul Arriola (D.C. United; 41/8), Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas; 2/2), Ricardo Pepi (FC Dallas; 4/3), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea/ENG; 40/16), Tim Weah (Lille/FRA; 16/1)

The matches are scheduled during a FIFA international window, making all players available for selection. While teams can summon a larger group, the game day roster for World Cup Qualifiers may only include 23 players.

SITTING IN SECOND PLACE

While the road to Qatar is long and winding, the USMNT has positioned itself well at the start of the campaign, having completed the first two windows of 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying with a 3-1-2 record during the first two “triple dates” and picking up 11 points total, including four on the road capped by a historic comeback in the 4-1 win away to Honduras on Sept. 8. Those results have lifted the United States into sole possession of second place after six matches.

MANY HAPPY RETURNS

With a total of 33 players having earned a cap during this qualifying campaign – and a whopping 25 getting their first appearance – experience is beginning to develop in the group. Twenty players carry over from the October World Cup Qualifying roster, with Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson having the distinction of appearing in all six matches of the Octagonal thus far. The USMNT welcomes Christian Pulisic back into the fold after the attacker missed the last round of matches due to the ankle injury suffered in the win away to Honduras in September. Meanwhile, Reggie Cannon, Jesús Ferreira, Sam Vines, and first-time call-up Joe Scally join the effort to reach Qatar ’22.

LAST TIME OUT

The U.S. Men’s National Team closed the October World Cup qualifying window on a high note with a 2-1 win against Costa Rica. After a frenzied start in which Costa Rica took the lead after just one minute of play, defender Sergiño Dest scored a spectacular goal to equalize in the 25th minute, and forward Tim Weah’s hard-hit shot in the 66th resulted in the game-winning own goal from Costa Rica. Playing in front of a raucous, sell-out crowd of 20,165 in its return to Columbus at the new Lower.com Field, the USMNT improved to 9-1-3 all-time in the Ohio capital. With an average age of 22 years, 61 days, the USA took the field not only with its youngest lineup in World Cup qualifying but also in any official competition.

• WATCH: Behind the Crest – USMNT Earns Comeback Win vs. Costa Rica

FINAL ROUND QUALIFYING – THE OCTAGONAL

For the first time, Concacaf has included eight teams in the final round of qualifying for the World Cup. The teams will play a round-robin, home and away format which includes 14 matches each. Due to the global health pandemic, a process which normally takes place during the course of 18 months has been reduced to seven. Additionally, the condensed schedule includes four ‘triple dates’ consisting of three matches during a seven-day window. The following teams have reached the final round: Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, Mexico and the United States. Learn more about the USMNT’s Road to Qatar 2022.

ONLY FORWARD/SOLO PA’LANTE

U.S. Soccer kicked off its “Countdown to World Cup Qualifying” promotion with the launch of “Only Forward,” / “Solo Pa’lante,” U.S. Soccer’s new creative campaign focused on uniting fans and the MNT in a collective journey to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Developed in conjunction with the players, coaches and staff, “Only Forward / Solo Pa’lante” highlights a young, diverse and global-minded Men’s National Team that is humble yet resilient as it looks to tackle the challenge of World Cup Qualifying during the next eight months. After an action-packed summer in which the deep U.S. player pool responded to adversity on and off the field and proved itself with two regional championship trophies, the USMNT is ready to show the world that they are prepared to change the way the world views American soccer.

ROSTER NOTES

• As of the first day of training on November 8, the average age of the rostered players will be 23 years, 363 days.
• The 25-player squad averages 29 caps overall and 10 in official competition.
• Players ply their trade in nine different countries: USA (10), England (3), Germany (3), Belgium (2), Italy (2), Austria (1), France (1), Portugal (1), Spain (1), Turkey (1)
• A veteran of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, defender DeAndre Yedlin (69 caps) is the most experienced player on the roster, followed by Kellyn Acosta (42), Paul Arriola (41), Christian Pulisic (40) and Sebastian Lletget (33).
• Sixteen players are age 24 or younger: Antonee Robinson and Miles Robinson (24); Reggie Cannon, Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic (23); Tyler Adams, Mark McKenzie and Sam Vines (22); Brenden Aaronson, Chris Richards and Tim Weah (21); Jesús Ferreira (20); Gianluca Busio (19); Yunus Musah, Ricardo Pepi and Joe Scally (18)
• Twenty players carry over from the October World Cup Qualifying roster, with Christian Pulisic, Reggie Cannon, Jesús Ferreira, Sam Vines, and first-time call-up Joe Scally joining the team this month.
• After picking up an ankle injury in the USA’s 4-1 World Cup Qualifying win on Sept. 8 at Honduras, Pulisic returned to play for Chelsea on Tuesday, going the final 16 minutes in the club’s 1-0 win at Malmö in the UEFA Champions League group stage.
• With his brace last month against Jamaica, 18-year-old Ricardo Pepi became the second youngest USMNT player after Pulisic to score multiple goals in a game and youngest to record goals in back-to-back World Cup Qualifiers.
• Defender Sam Vines will return to the USMNT for the first time since the Gold Cup Final on Aug. 1. The Royal Antwerp left back has played in three matches across all competitions since coming back from a broken collarbone suffered in early September.
• Reggie Cannon also returns to the USMNT for the first time since the Gold Cup Final. The right back missed the beginning of the Portuguese Primeira season with an injury, but has appeared in each of the last two league matches for Boavista.
• Ferreira returns to USMNT camp for the first time since January when his two-goal, three-assist performance guided the USA to a 7-0 friendly win against Trinidad & Tobago on Jan. 31 in Orlando. The 20-year-old attacker has collected eight goals and eight assists in 26 matches for FC Dallas this season.
• Right back Joe Scally is the lone first-time call-up. The 18-year-old New York City FC product has had a revelatory start to the season for Borussia Mönchengladbach, starting all 10 Bundesliga matches and earning his first assist in the club’s 2-1 win at Bochum on Sunday. Scally is the seventh player from the USA’s 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup roster to earn a senior team invite and would become the fifth to earn a cap.
• Cannon, Ferreira, Scally and Vines join goalkeeper Sean Johnson as the five players on the roster seeking their World Cup Qualifying debuts. A total of 25 players have made their first WCQ appearances for the USA this cycle – already the third most in team history.
• Midfielder Weston McKennie comes into camp in strong form. The 23-year-old scored goals in back-to-back Serie A matches for Juventus last week and nearly made it three-straight games after slamming an effort off the crossbar in the 73^rd minute of Juventus’ 4-2 win against Zenit St. Petersburg in UEFA Champions League play on Tuesday.
• The Nov. 12 qualifier against Mexico will mark the one-year anniversary of 18-year-old Yunus Musah’s USMNT debut. Since making his inaugural appearance at Wales on Nov. 12, 2020, Musah committed to the USMNT in March and has collected nine caps and two assists.
• Attacker Brenden Aaronson and midfielder Tyler Adams are the only two players to appear in all six qualifiers so far this cycle. Aaronson has contributed two goals and an assist, while Adams has captained the team in three matches including the wins against Jamaica and Costa Rica last month.
• Only four players have taken part in previous USA-Mexico World Cup Qualifiers. At just 18, Pulisic started in the 2-1 defeat to El Trí on Nov. 11, 2016, in Columbus. He then joined Kellyn Acosta, Paul Arriola and DeAndre Yedlin in starting the return fixture, a 1-1 draw at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11, 2017.
• Four players on the roster have previously scored against Mexico: Tyler Adams (Sept. 11, 2018), Weston McKennie and Christian Pulisic (June 6, 2021) and Miles Robinson (Aug. 1, 2021).
• Five different players have registered a total of eight goals against the Reggae Boyz: Pepi (2; Oct. 7, 2021), Pulisic (2; July 3, 2019), Sebastian Lletget (2; March 25, 2021); Brenden Aaronson (March 25, 2021) and Weston McKennie (July 3, 2021).